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I could al that of all the people in the world who Henry Marquette randfather, my sister wasn’t near the top of the list

In fact, it was a good bet that Ivy wasn’t on that list at all

CHAPTER 32

"I assunment?" Henry Marquette sat opposite me in World Issues, a thick file folder open on the table between us Clearly, he’d done his half of the assignment

"You knohat they say about assumptions," I said

Henry quirked an eyebrow at me "Tell me, Kendrick, what do they say about assu me that you did not screen the candidates on your half of the list?" Henry asked me "Tess"

"Actually," I said "I looked into them" He didn’t need to knohat exactly I’d looked for--or why I’d been looking

"And?"

And there’s reason to think Judge Pierce paid to have your grandfather killed

"And," I said, "I wasn’t really that iet the sense that you irl to impress"

That almost sounded like a compliment

Henry seemed to realize that, too "In all likelihood," he said abruptly, thu his eyes away fro for someone on the court of appeals--DC circuit is most likely, but I wouldn’t rule any of the others out"

My e Pierce Was he on the court of appeals?

Ivy told ht But she could hardly blanment, now, could she? As Henry briefly outlined the credentials of his top couple of candidates, I pulled Pierce’s inforraph that popped up He was balding, in his early fifties He stared back at me from the screen: deep-set eyes, soleet your et my nomination

I forced my eyes away from the photo and read Pierce had a seat on the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Prior to that, he’d served as the attorney general for the state of Arizona

"Pierce" Asher ca choice, to be sure"

I forcedfor infornment I closed the

"Don’t you have your own project to be working on?" Henry asked Asher mildly

"Indeed I do," Asher replied, his eyes still on me "Sadly, however, my partner is absent Woe be to the Asher who is forced to work on his own"

"I mourn for you," Henry said dryly

"So what do we know about Pierce?" Asher ignored Henry’s sarcastic tone and helped hi his elbon onfor one of the papers in Henry’s file